Vietnam Voices: 'I looked at everybody to see who I could follow. There wasn't anybody.' 

Staff Sgt. Ernest F. LaFountain died March 24, 2021 after a year-long battle with cancer. May he rest in peace.

"I felt sorry for every soldier who served over there, on either side". That sums up the humanity and compassion of this humble and intelligent man. Respect!

It is excruciating to listen to Mr. LaFountain unburden his soul about Viet Nam. But you have to listen. The interviewer does a fantastic job giving him time to tell his story, occasionally getting back on track. This whole series is an incredible testimony to the bravery, horror, humanity and inhumanity of war. I hope the interviewer writes (or has written) a book. Rest in peace Mr. LaFountain.

Never judge a book by its cover. This slow talking, thoughtful gentleman that you’d never give a second look on the street is an absolute badass. Truly an American treasure. Thank you for your service and sacrifices.

A man with an unfortunate upbringing who still put his live on the line and proudly served his country. Let that sink in. A model solider. Thank you for your service, Ernie.

The pain this man is experiencing is so horrific. But he keeps going and is seeking help. A true hero and dedicated human.

Thank you Ernie and welcome home. And thanks to the interviewer for allowing Ernie to tell his story at his own pace.

Let me tell you, there’s a reason why the happiest years of this man’s childhood were in that cabin with unbridled garden space.

It was a great interview. A very pensive man. He actually thinks before he speaks. As the interviewer you get top marks. You let him set his own cadence.

This is probably the most powerful vietnam interview that i seen

"I felt sorry for every soldier who served over there...either side." What a cool guy. A hero and a gentleman. RIP

Meaning: This man has every reason to claim our undying appreciation for his bravery and service, but he took total control of this interview, and the interviewer, in a fashion that separates him from the rest of the Vets on this program, none of which, took his approach.

I intended to write a comment starting with the hand Ernie was initially dealt - the four strikes, the appreciation gained from his father on which animals can be killed, and then go through the injustices and battles he has faced but in all honesty, watch the programme then rewind to 1 hour 15 minutes... look at and listen to the man.... you will see he is still seeing the horrors right in front of him. He asks for compassion and understanding, but never mentions respect. Having watched the programme who could deny him all three?

I feel so small next to a man like this. Heroes

This guy has seen some things... And some stuff. The eyes never lie. Poor guy.

Excellent Interviewer...He let Mr. LaFountain talk without pushing him and to allow the pauses to just hang without comment. God bless Mr. LaFountain.

Their were some sacred pauses in that story, I'm glad they were not interrupted. I am not watching this in one viewing but over several nights, because of time constraints and a desire to hear every word of it. For me, as for most of you I'm sure, it is a tremendously moving story. Mr. LaFountain has no fear speaking his mind as he seemingly appears to see his life there before he speaks, and what a precious gift it is to have an opportunity to listen. May he Rest In Peace.

This man has had a tough life, I'm a Canadian, but if I was an American I would be proud to have a man like this in my country, hats of to you sir.

Anyone who could give a thumbs down to this video with this man , i just feel sorry for you . thank you Ernie for your service to our country you are a hero to many of us .

This is an amazing interview. A number of comments suggest watching faster than normal speed as it is a long video. If you watch at any faster than1 or 1.25, you miss the emotion that is in every second of this interview. If you can't watch it all, at the time, watch it in parts. It is well worth taking the time to watch. Listen to this guy, 3 tours of Vietnam and he deserves your time. This interviewer has learned to let the subject speak at his own speed, something that was missing in the earlier videos which caused a a lot of comments of complaint. This is almost a monologue of a very brave and wise man. Thank You Ernie from Australia

Ernie, You were an amazing person. (Died 3-24-21 of Cancer) I will pray for you and remember you from your interview for the rest of my life. On my behalf of me and that of a grateful nation, please accept our appreciation for your honorable and faithful service. May you finally rest in peace. Dan

Thank you kindly BG for giving this man careful time and allowing him to be detailed, respected and allowed to share his service. What a great interview. You did a wonderful job interviewing this fine soldier!

This is the 3rd time I've came to hear this man's story, each time I hear something I didn't pick up the other times. God bless him and his family, hes had a hard ride in life but still kept going.

38 minutes in, guy speaks at a crawl, Vietnam has hardly been mentioned. Yet I’m hooked on the story. What an interesting man.

1.5x playback speed and it’s insane how animated he becomes realistically. You can tell that Vietnam really fucking took a toll on this man. Much respect to this soldier!

Watching him will show what the "thousand yard stare" looks like. Seriously impacted by the early battle, with no one reaching out to him to bring him back. He is one of our walking wounded - and we have many.

From the bottom of my heart.......thank you Ernie! A true warrior!

Those eyes have seen alot.

Christmas morning 2022 watched this morning all I can say is I would of liked to shake his hand. And that he is in heaven and at peace.i admire him

His memory was amazing. Acronyms, names, places, dates and times…I’ll be lucky to remember my own name tomorrow. May you ride on the wing’s of angels into the after life sir. RIP.

"I felt sorry for every soldier that served over there on either side." These Veterans are real American men. My heros. Some of the bravest men I've ever known. My Uncle included.

I too served in Vietnam in those same years. The first tour was with the 4th IN Div as a LT platoon leader, and was wounded and medivaced. I returned to Sunny Vietnam for a second tour as a Capt Company commander with the Americal Div. When I took command of the unit I found a young soldier badly damaged from the effects of an arty round that burst overhead, with a fragment striking his helmet, leaving this poor soldier barely able to speak. The previous Commander kept him in the unit to carry a large Orange mail bag, and collect the outgoing mail. I quickly sent the soldier back to base camp and was deemed unfit for service and sent home. The Doctor was furious that this young man had been kept in the field and thanked me for sending him home. I lasted for only a few weeks before being wounded again, but some poor N Vietnamese soldier trying to shoot me and get away, but was shot and killed by my RTO. As I watch this man trying to tell his story, I see a man damaged by that stupid war and not how he conducted himself during the war, because he would have been medivaced from my unit talking like he is now. I feel for him and sorry he died from cancer. I too suffered from Cancer, prostrate cancer to be exact. I still suffer the effects from cancer and hate the doctor that mistreated me, but thankful for the Doctor that saved my life at Stamford Hospital in CA. I am now 84 years old and time is passing me by, and my wife gets upset when I say life is about over for me, just as it attacked Ernie LaFountain. He is a true American hero and I wish he were here today to tell him so. To his family I pray for Ernie and God bless him for his service.

God, the things he went through before Vietnam were so heartbreaking. What an amazing man.

Ernie thanks for telling our story. It's been silent way too long. What you have said will live for ever.

I absolutely appreciate this video and the attention you're giving to men like my father who was drafted and served prior to 1970... but we need video speech captions for the greatest attention to your work. I'd like to send to my dad but I'm afraid he won't be able to hear well enough to spend three hours watching. Thank you for any attention you may give to my first comment here on your channel.

One-of-a-kind man and a very useful man to have around. Glad we had him on our side.

Just minutes into this program I became an admired. Any man who is a Choker Setter has big brass Balls, hand eye coordination and a strong sense of survival. Else they end up with the nick name "Stumpy" because of the multiple fingers and hands or parts of hands missing from having them caught between the steel cables and very large, heavy logs

This is one of the best interviews, this guy is still there in his mind, thank you Ernie & thank you to the billings gazette for running these

3 tours running heavy equipment and class A tractors plus did some EOD work. He's a tough old bird.

the best 3 hours i’ve spent in a long time. I like how he remembered gardening and hunting with his pops. How his pops taught him to be careful only to shoot a deer that was a dry doe. That stuck with me.

This is a sweet man who obviously had a ton of talent, he lived a rich life and its obvious how loved he was, may he RIP. I am very moved by these interviews with Vets. I remember seeing the causualty numbers on TV when I was like 12. Ive always been intrigued by this period of time and this War. I didnt like hearing how these guys got treated coming home, not at all. These men deserve respect for real

This man may not have had the most glamorous mos but he adds tremendous amount of insight to understanding Vietnam and he’s a great story teller. I was temped to speed up the playback but found myself enjoying his slower and deliberate tempo. Rest in Peace

I have listened to dozens of these and for lack of a better word this one is perhaps the most touching.

You can tell he’s seen things. Great story telling. Thank you LaFountain.

As a Veteran from 1963 to 1967 ,,This great HERO who gave it all , Sir may God bless you and give you some peace, what a great insight in to war and what our government force’s us to do ..

That's what you call a thousand yard stare. Thanks buddy.

This guy has an insane memory.

I stumbled accross this series about a week ago. Being british and born a decade after the war ended I didn't know anything about the Vietnam war. Absolutely loving this series and its great to see that these stories have been captured before they are lost forever. Every person I've listened to so far has been absolutely fascinating.

this my favourite interview. Ernie is clearly one of the most intelligent people on planet earth

Well interviewed. This man served his country at great cost, and deserves to tell his story at his pace. Thanks to him.

Ok I'm 1 minute into this one and I can already see that this man is intense and I absolutely would not want him as an enemy

Another great interview, Darrel Ehrlick. Thank you for letting him tell his story in his way. I'm not American, but thank you for your service, Ernie LaFountain.

Amazing interview like all the others. This veteran knows how to talk and keep you listening he would make a good narrator.This interviewer is very patient and knows how to conduct these interviews without asking ridiculous questions or trying to be funny, he is to be commended for this. Thank you for this interview.

Wow! Just Wow! What an intelligent, brave, spiritual and thoughtful man. He’s a hypnotic storyteller. What a life from childhood to now. Amazes me how he survived all that and still with his dignity. Blessings from Ireland 🇮🇪

I'm 68. I had many relatives and friends in Nam... This man has touched me and many others in ways not possible from your average vet..I THINK YOU SIR...MANY OF US THANK YOU IN WAYS WORDS COULD NOT EXPLAIN... LOVE AND RESPECT FOR YOU SIR

The quiet respectful dignity and authenticity of this man given the without doubt incomprehensible ongoing hell and injustice placed upon him and every other frontline Vet expresses something very powerful about humanity and the profound contempt of Governments universally. We feel your pain Mr Fontaine and all the others. Thank you for expressing your experiences and helping us better understand, it is important and appreciated. God speed to you Sir.

One of the most poignant interviews of any war. Soft spoken, highly intelligent and precise in his words, the pace is sometimes halting and the voice so faint, you can feel the pain this veteran has experienced.

Worth listening to every minute. This gentleman articulates so eloquently the challenges, the pride, the loneliness, the anger, betrayal and finally, the reality that responsibility and accountability for the prosecution of that war in the way in which it was executed lies not with the service member but with the government who made the decisions, often for worse and worse yet. Thank you, sir. Your observations regarding the DEROS system have been confirmed repeatedly. It is the outcomes of that system that resulted in the decision to send entire units to the current wars together. Any advantage conferred by this approach appears to be (at least preliminarily) systematically undermined by repeated deployments. Just like DEROS, the road to hell was paved with good intentions gone bad by competing agendas. Once again, it's the service member as "experiment"-and expedience. Best wishes to you and your family. I sincerely appreciate your service and your participation in this program.

I miss my friend, Larry Flowers. He was a neighbor who kept a distance. We became friends after we started communicating via gunfire into a Creek behind our properties..He was a poor Coon hunter as a child. As a grunt, he would either ambush or get ambushed...He would jump off those PT insertion boats, many times under fire...This man, reminds me of my friend...He was a good man! If he knew you, he trusted you. I miss him, and his black Labrador...That was all he had. Besides many injuries he had, he used a cane...He touched me by his desire to finally be accepted home. I moved, but pray he made it to Washington to live with other grunts in the mountains...A life safe from the bush...RIP Larry Flowers! Your perimeter is clear pal!

His memory is amazing......the details are incredible. Thank you for service.

God bless you Ernie. I'm very deeply touched by your testimony. I wish I had you as a friend. You truly are a teacher, a guide and a true Warrior, in every sense of the word. My deepest respect to you sir.

Take the time to listen to this (slow talk'n) combat engineer. He has wisdom.

I'm a British man. 57 years old. Moved by your story. May you find peace. Thank you for telling your story and showing us what war is like

Wow, Kudos to Darrell Ehrlich for this wonderful interview .. He is the one in a thousand interviewers who would let this pace out at the tempo it did ... I love all the interviews in this series, all different men, all different backgrounds, all different personalities, all different interpretations of their experience, all different outcomes in life ..... if you watch a couple dozen of these, you will get almost the entire human experience .... Fantastic

I love the story of the rat on the dock!! it was 2 feet long and 10 inches tall... And it wasn't ALONE!! lol

I am 30 minutes in and I'm finding myself overcome with emotion! My dad fought in vietnam in the late 60s. Recently I have been really digging into what happened to these guys over there and I can only vaguely grasp the atrocities that they have seen and been forced to commit in the name of survival. He VERY rarely talks about it. I try and respect that and I don't ask too many questions. I know that it shaped him into the man and father I have known. I have a much better understanding of who he is because of interviews like this. Thank you so much for this!

A riveting interview, thank you sir for your service of this country, going above and beyond the call of duty. Your inner strength is something to see. I’ve learned much listening to you Ernie, your experiences, your wisdom and openness, a true hero in my eyes and someone I’d be proud to personally know. God bless you brother.

Wow. He is so amazingly lucid of events of a lifetime ago. What an honor to hear his story. Thank you for this amazing interview.

This is a great interview,He's has a lot of insight and knowledge.We are lucky to have people like him,God Bless Mr.LaFontain.

This may be the best one of all.

Thank you for your sacrifice Ernie…

Very interesting accounts of your experiences Ernie, every minute. Thank you for your service.

I want to take a second to commend the interviewer. Have seen all of these by now and some twice. I appreciate how he’s run these interviews and the leeway left in the interview to let the man speak his mind. The ADD generation can’t handle the speed of the interview. Pity them.

PTSD is just the start! What about agent orange and other chemicals they dumped on those vets while they were fighting. This guy is awesome! God bless all the vets!

Thoughtful man. His gaze is incredibly intense.

I listen to your story over and over..I'm 65.. much love and respect for you and your family sir.. THANK YOU.3 TOURS.YOU ARE AMAZING

THANK YOU for this interview. Incredible! God Bless Mr. LaFountain and all veterans.

Thank you Mr. Lafountain

Probably one of the best series I’ve ever seen on the Vietnam war. Thank you

Also 10/10 to the interviewer. So refreshing to see someone who is respectful and lets the other side speak rather than getting triggered and over shouting to try and push their narrative (CNN, MSNBC etc) basically all MSM

I wish he would write a book of all of his life experiences. And I wish it would be required reading for school kids.

Thank you for your excellent interviews. They are priceless to me and many other Americans. They are our national and personal history. I am grateful for their sacrifices, which seem to never end.

words of wisdom......."put th blame where it belongs on th leadership of this country"........

The way he stops and stares when describing some things is haunting. i cant imagine going to war for your country only to find out ur country sent you to die for a lie, cant imagine the feeling of being DRAFTED for Vietnam either..

Thank you for your service! A true American hero! Three tours in Vietnam is really above and beyond.

One of the best story tellers I've seen.in telling his story you can see in his eyes he reliving it as he tells it.Great gentleman.

Not only is it a brave, courageous and selfless act to server and go through the horrors of war... but to talk about it and pass the experience along is truly admirable and appreciated! Thank you to all of the vets! And thank you for allowing them the platform to share the history.

God Bless you and thank you. Absolutely heart wrenching. Peace and Love to you, Ernie, and to all of your brothers in arms.

His eyes are seeing the horrors of war as he speaks and remembers. All who have been in combat are heroes. My father-in-law was a WWII vet and had PTSD symptoms that he kept inside himself. He drank a lot when he got home and fought a lot trying to kill the demons of war that were inside him. A good man that was misunderstood and labeled as a drunk. He was a hero.

Jesus! How can one not have some serious self reflection to do after this? Thank you Ernie.

He’s still got that look…. You know it when you see it.

Thank you. Ernie LaFountain, salt of the earth.

No words. Amazing perspective

The amazing gentlemen in this excellent series gave all and for that they deserve the utmost respect.

i served with 4th inf. 10 armored calvery 1st. plt. B co . we had m60 tanks, m113a2 APC. we secured hwy. ql19 ,ql14 Kuntoon to pleiku, to ankhe in centrail highlands a very mountaines place. during the day we busted brush along blue lines (river/ creek) to another american base camp. LZ ACTION had the battery of 155mm, 175mm, 8" how. 105mm. 90mm tank 1969.

A true American bad ass.i could sit and listen to this man all day.

Helps to understand why so many had PTSD.

Thank you for everything you have done for us. You are appreciated more than you will ever know.

I'm a combat vet and it's amazing how it makes you feel for your fellow man

Very wise, eloquent man.